Main
Varun Goel
varung@live.unc.edu | 919 579 9775 | github.com/varungoel123
Current Position
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC
current - 2021
Education
PhD, Geography
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC
2021 - 2016
- Title : Are Deep Tubewells Safe and Equitable? A Geographic examination of Impacts of Deep Tubewell Interventions on Provision of Safe Drinking-water and Diarrheal Diseases in Rural Bangladesh
M.S., Geography
University of Illinois
Urbana Champaign, IL
2013 - 2011
- Concentration in Health and Medical Geography
B.A. (hons), Geography (minor C.S.)
University of Illinois
Urbana Champaign, IL
2011 - 2008
- Concentration in Geographic Information Science
- Awarded Highest Distinction
Research Experience
Carolina Population Center
University of North Carolina
N/A
2021 - 2016
- Conducted population health research on multiple NSF and NIH Projects as a pre-doctoral trainee
- Lead and co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications evaluating spatial determinants of diarrheal diseases in Bangladesh and malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa under supervision of Dr. Mike Emch.
- Conducted analysis and wrote a submitted manuscript with Dr. Paul Delamater on spatial determinants of vaccine hesitancy in the United States
Indian School of Business
Hyderabad, India
N/A
2016 - 2014
- I served as the chief data scientist at a research team led by Dr. Ashwini Chhatre to acquire, process, integrate, visualize and disseminate data-driven products for evidence based resilient rainfed agriculture in India
Center for One Health
University of Illinois
N/A
2013 - 2012
- Conducted Master’s research involving a spatial risk assessment of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease among cattle and white-tailed deer in Illinois under supervision of late Dr. Marilyn O’Hara Ruiz
CyberGIS and Infrastructure Laboratory
University of Illinois
N/A
2011 - 2010
- Co-led the development of an Ecological Compliance Assessment WebGIS tool named EcoCAT at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources under supervision of Dr. Shaowen Wang
Peer Reviewed Publications
Implementation Approaches for Introducing and Overcoming Barriers to Hepatitis B Birth-Dose Vaccine in Africa
Global Health Science and Practice Journal (accepted, in press)
N/A
2021
- Boisson A, V Goel, Yotebiang M, Parr JB, B Fried, Thompson P
Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine chemoprevention and malaria incidence after severe flooding: evaluation of a pragmatic intervention in rural Uganda
Clinical Infectious Diseases
N/A
2021
- RM Boyce, BD Hollingsworth, E Baguma, E Xu, V Goel, A Brown-Marusiak, R Muhindo, R Reyes, M Ntaro, MJ Siedner, SG Staedke, JJ Juliano, EM Mulongo
Malaria prevalence and long-lasting insecticidal net use in rural western Uganda: results of a cross-sectional survey conducted in an area of highly variable malaria transmission intensity
Malaria Journal
N/A
2021
- CM Cote, V Goel, R Muhindo, E Baguma, M Ntaro, BE Shook-Sa, R Reyes, SG Staedke, EM Mulongo, RM Boyce
Individual, household and neighborhood risk factors for malaria in the Democratic Republic of the Congo support new approaches to programmatic intervention
Health and Place
N/A
2021
- M Carrel, S Kim, MK Mwandagalirwa, N Mvuama, JA Bala, M Nkalani, G Kihuma, J Atibu, O Diallo, Varun Goel, KL Thwai, JJ Juliano, M Emch, A Tshefu, JB Parr
SARS-CoV-2 testing in North Carolina: Racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities
Health and Place
N/A
2021
- K Brandt*, V Goel*, C Keeler*, GJ Bell, A Aiello, G Corbie-Smith, E Wilson, A Fleischauer, M Emch, RM Boyce
- * Joint first author
Effectiveness of a national mass distribution campaign of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying on clinical malaria in Malawi, 2018-2020
BMJ Global Health
N/A
2021
- H Topazian, A Gumbo, K Brandt, M Kayange, JS Smith, JK Edwards, V Goel, T Mvalo, M Emch, A Pettifor, JJ Juliano, I Hoffman
What is the burden of malaria in the DRC
Journal of Infectious Diseases
N/A
2021
- M Deutsch-Feldman, JB Parr, C Keeler, NF Brazeau, V Goel, M Emch, JK Edwards, M Kashamuka, AK Tshefu, SR Meshnick
Considering Alternate Pathways of Drinking-Water Contamination: Evidence of Risk Substitution in Rural Bangladesh
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
N/A
2020
- V Goel, GJ Bell, S Sridhar, Md Islam, Md Yunus, Md Ali, Md Khan, Md Alam, ASG Faruque, Md Kabir, S Babu, K Brandt, V Shelus, MD Sobsey, M Emch
Extending multilevel spatial models to include spatially varying coefficients
Health and Place
N/A
2019
- M Janko, V Goel, M Emch
False-negative malaria rapid diagnostic test results and their impact on community-based malaria surveys in sub-Saharan Africa
BMJ Global Health
N/A
2019
- OJ Watson, KM Sumner, M Janko, V Goel, P Winskill, HC Slater, A Ghani, SR Meshnick, JB Parr
Impacts of household sources on air pollution at village and regional scales in India
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
N/A
2019
- B Rooney, R Zhao, Y Wang, KH Bates, A Pillarisetti, S Sharma, S Kundu, TC Bond, NL Lam, B Ozaltun, L Xu, V Goel, LT Fleming, R Weltman, S Meinardi, DR Blake, SA Nizkorodov, RD Edwards, A Yadav, NK Arora, KR Smith, JH Seinfeld
Deep tubewell microbial water quality and access in arsenic mitigation programs in rural Bangladesh
Science of the Total Environment
N/A
2018
- V Goel, MS Islam, M Yunus, MT Ali, AF Khan, N Alam, ASG Faruque, G Bell, M Sobsey, M Emch
Individual and household characteristics of persons with Plasmodium falciparum malaria in sites with varying endemicities in Kinshasa Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Malaria Journal
N/A
2017
- MK Mwandagalirwa, L Levitz, KL Thwai, JB Parr, Varun Goel, M Janko, A Tshefu, M Emch, SR Meshnick, M Carrel
Manuscripts Under Review
Race, Place, and HIV: The Legacies of Apartheid and Racist Policy in South Africa
Social Science and Medicine (under review)
N/A
2021
- GJ Bell, J Ncyayiyana, A Sholomon, V Goel, K Zuma, M Emch
Provisional entrance, exemptions, and kindergarteners up-to-date on vaccination after a regulatory change in Pennsylvania
Public Health Reports (under review)
N/A
2021
- PL Delamater, V Goel, CN Strack, YT Yang
Book Chapters
Spatial Epidemiology: Challenges and methods in COVID-19 research
In: Andrews G.J., Crooks V.A., Pearce J.R., Messina J.P. (eds) COVID-19 and Similar Futures. Global Perspectives on Health Geography. Springer
N/A
2021
- V Goel, M Emch
Selected Conference Presentations
Investigating COVID-19 Testing in North Carolina: Racial, Ethnic, and Geographic Disparities
Association of American Geographers, April 7-11 (non presenting author)
Virtual
2021
Spillovers and Risk Substitution in Public Health Interventions: A case study of Deep Tubewell Interventions and Diarrheal Disease in Rural Bangladesh
Association of American Geographers, April 7-11
Virtual
2021
Are Deep Tubewells Safe Drinking Water Sources? Evidence of Risk Substitution from Rural Bangladesh
UNC Water and Health Conference, Oct 26-30
Chapel Hill, USA
2020
Measuring spillover effects from a health intervention in Rural Bangladesh
International Medical Geography Symposium, July 1-6
Queenstown, NZ
2019
Climatic Influences on Women’s Health and Mobility in Sub-Saharan Africa
Population Association of America, April 11-13 (non-presenting author)
Austin, USA
2019
Risk Substitution through Surface Water Use Among Deep Tubewell users in Rural Bangladesh
Association of American Geographers, April 4-7
Washington D.C, USA
2019
Does Women’s Empowerment Reduce the Negative Effect of Climate Change on Child Health? Empirical Evidence from Households in India
Population Association of America, April 26-28
Denver, USA
2018
Impact of Population Modelling Choices on Epidemiological Estimates: Implications for Integrated Disease Control
American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Oct 28-30 , (non-presenting author)
New Orleans, USA
2018
Finding Safe Drinking Water in Rural Bangladesh - Are Deep Tubewells the Answer?
Association of American Geographers, April 10-14
New Orleans, USA
2017
An integrated One Health approach to evaluating the spatio-temporal risk of hemorrhagic disease in cattle in Illinois
URISA GIS and Public Health Conference, Jun 10-12
Miami, USA
2013
A spatial risk assessment of hemorrhagic disease in cattle in Illinois from 2005 to 2012,
Association of American Geographers, April 22-25
Los Angeles, USA
2013
Invited Talks and Panels
Spatial and demographic patterns in SARS-CoV-2 testing and test positivity in North Carolina
Geography Colloqium (Co-presented), Nov 10
Dartmouth College
2020
SARS-CoV-2 Testing in North Carolina: Racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities
Working Group Seminar (Co-presented), Nov 19
NC Covid Surveillance Network
2020
Building Resilience in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Systems in Developing Countries
STAR-TIDES Invited Panel Speaker, Oct 20
George Mason University
2020
Examining the Role of Neighborhood Definitions on Spatio-temporal Distribution of Vaccine Refusal in California
GIS Day Invited talk, Nov 16
Duke University
2018
Evaluating Deep Tubewell interventions in rural Bangladesh: Implications for both drinking and non-drinking water usage
Research Seminar, Sep 25
icddr,b Bangladesh
2018
Mapping Infectious Diseases using R
Workshop at the Evolutionary Medicine Summer Institute, June 7
Duke University
2018
Globalization and Health
Guest Lecture, GEOG 110: Geographies of Globalization, Oct 13
UNC Chapel Hill
2017
Morbidity and Health
Guest Lecture: Soc 122: Population and Development, March 28
UNC Chapel Hill
2017
Applications of GIS in Natural Resource Management
Guest Lecture: Natural Resource Governance in Developing Countries, Oct 29
University of Illinois
2013
Open-source GIS tools in criminology and health
Guest Lecture: Geospatial Tech and Society
University of Illinois
2012
Teaching Experience
Course Instructor
GEOG 215: Introduction to Spatial Data Science
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
2020 spring
- Rated 4.85 out of 5 (Full course evaluations available upon request)
Teaching Assistant
GEOG 105: Digital Earth
University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
2013 spring
- Mentioned in List of Instructors rated as Excellent by their students
Teaching Assistant
GEOG 101: Geography of Developing Countries
University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
2011 fall
- Mentioned in List of Instructors rated as Excellent by their students
Other Teaching Experience
Course Instructor
Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis
Lilongwe, Malawi
2020 March
- Co-taught a short course on Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analsyis to doctors and public health researchers as part of the Malawi HIV Implementation and Research Training Program
Teaching Assistant
Data Matters Workshop Series
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
2020 december
- TA for 3 two-day classes on Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced R
Awards, Honors & Funding
UNC Graduate School Dissertation Completion Fellowship ($18,000)
N/A
N/A
2020
Melinda Meade Research Award, UNC Geography ($3000)
N/A
N/A
2020
Melinda Meade Graduate Student Summer Award, UNC Geography ($2000)
N/A
N/A
2019
AAG Health and Medical Geography Specialty Group Travel Award ($500)
N/A
N/A
2019
Ona Impact Grant for using innovative digital technology for field data collection ($1200)
N/A
N/A
2018
Geography Summer Award, UNC Geography ($3000)
N/A
N/A
2018
Summer Institute in Statistics and Infectious Disease Modeling scholarship, UW ($3300)
N/A
N/A
2018
UNC Doctoral Recruitment Merit Assistantship ($20,000)
N/A
N/A
2016
Schlesinger Travel Award, UIUC School of Earth, Society and Environment ($600)
N/A
N/A
2013
Jerome D Fellman Award, for outstanding honors thesis and highest distinction
N/A
N/A
2011
Outstanding Senior in Geography Award, Illinois Geographical Society
N/A
N/A
2011
Howard Roepke Undergraduate Research Scholarship, UIUC Geography ($3000)
N/A
N/A
2011
Skills
Analytical
GIS, remote sensing, spatial statistics, geostatistical modeling
N/A
N/A
Programming
R (advanced), Python, Matlab, Bash
N/A
N/A
Software/Tools
R, ArcGIS, QGIS, Stata, GIT, AWS, PostGIS
N/A
N/A
Departmental Service
Treasurer
Geography Association of Graduate Students
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
2020 - 2017
Graduate Student Representative, Geography
Graduate Professional Student Federation
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
2017 - 2016
Chair
Society of Earth Systems and Environment Research Review
University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
2013
Reviewer Assignments
Health & Place
N/A
N/A
N/A
Malaria Journal
N/A
N/A
N/A
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
N/A
N/A
N/A
Science of the Total Environment
N/A
N/A
N/A
American Journal of Public Health
N/A
N/A
N/A
Membership in Professional Societies
Association of American Geographers
N/A
N/A
N/A
Population Association of America
N/A
N/A
N/A
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
N/A
N/A
N/A
Languages
English
Fluent
N/A
N/A
Hindi
Native Speaker
N/A
N/A
Mandarin
Conversational
N/A
N/A